The Cat
by Rose Starre
Summary: Holly gets a maine coon cat. He is smart and independant Kinda like someone else we know . But, what happens when night falls and the full moon arises? Although there is more than one chapter, I can't figure out the chapter thing on here.
1. The Cat

**A** golden-haired kitten glared up at the intruder looking through the bars of her cage. She bared her teeth, but the intruder made no signs of leaving. The kitten's claws slid out of her paws and she tried to swat the intruder on the nose.

The intruder, none other than Captain Holly Short, pulled back just in time. An attendant walked over. Her hair was as golden as the kitten's fur. "How may I help you?" she asked sweetly.

"I'm looking for a kitten," Holly answered. She looked back at the temperamental kitten that had nearly attacked her. "Is it possible to find one without claws in the front paws?"

"Yes," the attendant said, "Follow me." She stepped into a room in the back of the building. Holly followed, wondering about what kinds of cats she'd see.

The sound of cats calling to each other filled the room. Holly looked into a cage containing a calico cat. The cat looked back at her, but soon went back to cleaning herself. A regal Mane Coon sat in a cage just above Holly's head. He was quietly observing her.

Holly gestured at the Mane Coon. "What about him?" she asked.

"That's Leo. His previous owners said he was intelligent, quiet, and proud. He prefers to be alone, though," the attendant sighed. She sounded like she had rehearsed this tidbit of information many times.

"I'll take him," Holly said, reaching up to touch Leo.

"You will? Fantastic!" the attendant cried. She reached over to hug Holly, but the captain stepped away uncomfortably.

Soon, Leo was sitting on the counter while Holly thought about whether or not she wanted a box to carry him home in. "I don't think I need a box for him," she said.

Holly turned to the place where Leo was, but he wasn't there. She looked around wildly to try to find him. _He really_ **is** _intelligent_, she thought.

Then, Holly noticed the attendant trying to hide her grin. "What?" she snapped.

The attendant giggled, "I suggest you look in your coat pockets."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Holly grumbled as she looked down. What she saw dangling from her coat pocket surprised her. It was a plumed, smoke-colored tail. "What a surprise," she grinned. (Author's note: I don't like it when people do that, but it was the only thing I could think of. [I'm talking about the 'she grinned' after the quote])

After paying for Leo, Holly stepped out into the warm, summer air. Mulch, the dwarf, greeted her. "Did you know that if you burp and fart at the same time, you'll explode?" Mulch asked.

"That's nice," Holly said, stepping around Mulch and making her way towards Fowl Manor. What a sight! Two children (so it seemed) trudging along, one with a beard, the other with a tail dangling from her pocket.

Luckily, Fowl Manor wasn't too far away. Leo was getting restless. The two fairies knocked on the door. Surprisingly, Artemis Fowl II himself opened the door. "Welcome, friends," he said.

Artemis ushered Holly and Mulch to his study, which doubled as a library. Mulch went off instantly to find food, leaving Holly and Artemis alone with Leo. Artemis quickly noticed the tail. He decided not to ask about it, but to grab it instead. (Not the smartest idea, but hey, he didn't know what it was so who could blame him?)

Artemis slowly edged his way over to Holly's side. She watched him through curious eyes, one hazel, the other blue, he noted for the millionth time.

Holly was a little bit smarter than Artemis thought. She followed his gaze to the cat's tail, which was swinging lazily. "I see you've found Leo," she said, gently pulling the cat from her coat pocket.

Slowly, as if he might spook the elf or the cat she was holding, Artemis reached out and stroked Leo. "You can hold him if you want," Holly offered. Artemis took the cat and continued to stroke him.

Juliet had been passing by in the hall when she heard Holly mention Leo. She peered through the doorway and saw, though she didn't believe it, Artemis holding what he had called so many times before, a "dirty animal". The furry critter even seemed happy! (Just to clarify, the furry critter is Leo, not Artemis.)

Juliet leaned her head against the door frame, cherishing the rare moment of affection between Artemis and another living thing. Then, Butler stormed past. "What's the matter, big brother?" Juliet asked him.

"That little weasel ate every crumb of Mrs. Fowl's pie!" Butler explained. Juliet knew all too well who the 'little weasel' was.

"Mulch, you fiend!" she called.

Late that night… Chapter 2

Holly had been looking up at the stars from a perch up in an elm tree when she fell asleep. But soon, a terrible crash, a bellow, and a high-pitched scream woke her up. In fact, she nearly fell out of the tree. She landed painfully on a branch and got whacked on the head by her own helmet. "That's going to hurt in the morning," she groaned.

Holly slid to the ground and half walked, half staggered into the house. Once inside, she put on her helmet and activated the night vision. "Hello?" she called nervously. Silence followed, aside from Holly's own breathing and the blood roaring in her ears.

Then, there was another roar and another shriek. Holly darted to the right, toward the sound, and into the living room. The scene before her was quite the shock. A troll with a tail was leaning over Juliet, and Juliet was in tears, cowering in the corner.

"Hey, Ugly, leave her alone!" Holly shouted. The troll took no notice of Holly's brave words. Instead, the troll leaned closer and brought forward its big claws. Juliet whimpered and tried to shrink back. "You look at me when I'm talking to you," Holly said, drawing her Neutrino and letting a blast loose.

The big brute howled in pain and wheeled around to face his attacker. The troll stopped for a second, and during that second, Holly realized what a big mistake she had made. Instead of one set of tusks, this troll had two.

Soon, the confusion melted from the troll's face, only to be replaced by malice and anger. He howled and charged. "Uh-oh," Holly groaned. She turned tail and fled. At least, she tried to. The troll got to her before she got very far. The troll had her locked in its iron grasp. _This troll's going to kill me_, she thought.

Holly grabbed a claw to wrench it away. She quickly pulled her hand back. Something coating the claw had burned her hand like acid. Almost instantly, Holly felt her limbs become limp. She then realized she was completely at the troll's mercy, if it had any.

The troll roared in Holly's face and tossed her at the wall. _I hope this is one of those impacts you only feel after you wake up in the_ _hospital_, she thought. It wasn't one of those impacts. Holly hit the wall and instantly slumped to the floor.

By now, all that commotion had reached Butler and Artemis. Butler grabbed a dart rifle just in case. At the door, Butler peered in. He saw the troll, gasped, and pulled his head back.

"What is it?" Artemis whispered.

"A troll," Butler answered.

Butler then kicked open the door. The troll, hearing the noise, turned from its soon-to-be meal. "Hello!" Butler cried as he pulled the trigger. The dart left the barrel and, after a five-second flight, buried its needle in the troll's neck.

The troll howled in pain and stupidly clawed the air. Then, its legs, torso, and arms shortened. Clawed hands and feet became paws. The troll's head became smaller and more cat-like. The troll that had nearly killed Juliet and Holly was, in truth, Leo.

Mere seconds later… Chapter 3

Butler crossed over to Juliet, who was still cowering in the corner, shaking, and sobbing. Artemis still stood, frozen, in the doorway. His gaze seemed stuck to Holly's unmoving form.

When Artemis did move, it felt like a dream to him, more accurately, a nightmare. He paid no attention to the dazed cat, just the unconscious elf. A wave of remorse came over him when he gently shook Holly, to no response.

Artemis tenderly lifted Holly's light, thin frame. He gently cradled her. This girl that he had known, maybe even loved, was gone, done in by a literal CATastrophe. Suddenly, all the tears Artemis had hidden away burst forth in powerful sobs as he realized there was no time rift to save his friend this time. (SPOILER ALERT)

Holly's eyes blinked open. (That's right, folks, she's **not** dead! Not this time.) When her eyes focused, she saw Artemis simply sobbing over her. _Have I been out _**that**_ long_? She thought.

"This cannot be happening," Artemis choked out between sobs. Holly was shocked to see what a mess he was. He hadn't ever been this bad, not even when his mother had been possessed by Opal. (SPOILER ALERT)

Holly reached up and gently cleared tears from Artemis's face. "Don't cry, Arty," She murmured, "If you cry, I'll cry, and there'll be a big mess."

Artemis opened his eyes and smiled through his tears. "I knew you wouldn't pass away on me like that," he said. He helped Holly into a sitting position and embraced her.

Mrs. Fowl stepped into the room, looking confused. "What's going on here?" she asked upon seeing Artemis and Holly clinging to each other.

The two sitting on the floor let go of each other. Holly stood with some difficulty and turned slightly to face Mrs. Fowl. "Mrs. Fowl," she said, "There has been a troll attack here. Juliet and I were victims, Artemis and Butler are witnesses." Holly went on to explain the whole incident as if she were giving a report to her commander.

Afterward, Holly slipped to the floor out of exhaustion. Artemis tried to go to her side, but Butler stopped him. "She's tired, Artemis," he said. "I'll help her." Artemis nodded, it was for the best.

Butler lifted Holly and carefully carried her up the stairs to the spare bedroom. He laid her in the bed, and looked over her with a semi-professional eye. Her breathing was heavy and labored and she was pale and feverish. Overall, Holly was in bad shape.

Carefully, Butler prodded her, checking for broken bones. Luckily, there were none. He lifted her wrist and checked her pulse. It was over human average, but Butler guessed that was normal.

Artemis walked in. "How is she?" he asked simply.

Butler turned to him and answered like a doctor, "She's in bad shape, but I expect she'll pull through."

Artemis nodded. His eyes were fixed on Holly. _Now would be a great time to examine her_, said his scientist side. _No_, his reasonable side shouted. _It would be wrong._

Days later… Chapter 4

Holly woke to Foaly leaning over her. "Good morning, Beautiful!" he exclaimed. Holly shrieked and ducked under the covers, something she didn't do often.

"Hey, hey, it's all right. It's me, Foaly." Foaly said soothingly. He pulled the blankets from the alarmed elf's head. She was hunched over, her whole body shuddering with sobs.

Foaly turned to Butler. "I'm not that scary, am I?" he asked. Butler shrugged. Foaly turned back to his terrified friend. "Come on, now," he said quietly. "Tell Uncle Foaly what's bothering you."

Holly turned still-streaming eyes to her friend. "I'm sorry," she said, stuttering. "I just can't stop seeing that troll." She quickly dissolved into tears again.

"Oh, that," Foaly said, laughing a bit. "It was just a kitty troll."

Holly's head snapped up. "A what?" she asked.

"A kitty troll," Foaly repeated. He laughed. Then, he started explaining. "A kitty troll is a brand new species of troll. Just discovered two, maybe three, weeks ago. Crafty creatures, those guys.

"They can disguise themselves as cats, which makes them all the more dangerous. Joke shops sprang up everywhere, selling kitty trolls to unsuspecting people. Apparently, you were one of those unsuspecting people." Foaly finished.

Holly slammed her small fist onto the bed. "D'arvit," she growled.

"Whoa," Foaly whinnied, "Watch your language, missy!"

"Sorry," Holly sighed, "I just don't like being fooled."

Foaly blew air out his nose and looked out the window.

"Come on, Foaly," Holly pleaded.

Foaly snorted and began to stomp off. Holly wasn't sure what had set him off. She tried to follow Foaly, but as soon as she stood, she fell to the floor.

"What the…?" Holly muttered, trying to get up. She fell again. "This is ridiculous!" she exclaimed.

Foaly looked back at her. "Oh," he said, "One more thing, the venom from a kitty troll's claws takes away your magic and ability to walk for a few weeks." He trotted out of the room. "On that cheery note," he called, "Good bye!" Then, he slammed the door.

"What does he mean?" Holly mumbled from the floor.

Artemis answered quite simply, "Holly, Foaly intended to say what he said. You are incapable of walking."

"Darn…"Holly muttered to herself.


	2. Chapter 2

Late that night… Chapter 2

Holly had been looking up at the stars from a perch up in an elm tree when she fell asleep. But soon, a terrible crash, a bellow, and a high-pitched scream woke her up. In fact, she nearly fell out of the tree. She landed painfully on a branch and got whacked on the head by her own helmet. "That's going to hurt in the morning," she groaned.

Holly slid to the ground and half walked, half staggered into the house. Once inside, she put on her helmet and activated the night vision. "Hello?" she called nervously. Silence followed, aside from Holly's own breathing and the blood roaring in her ears.

Then, there was another roar and another shriek. Holly darted to the right, toward the sound, and into the living room. The scene before her was quite the shock. A troll with a tail was leaning over Juliet, and Juliet was in tears, cowering in the corner.

"Hey, Ugly, leave her alone!" Holly shouted. The troll took no notice of Holly's brave words. Instead, the troll leaned closer and brought forward its big claws. Juliet whimpered and tried to shrink back. "You look at me when I'm talking to you," Holly said, drawing her Neutrino and letting a blast loose.

The big brute howled in pain and wheeled around to face his attacker. The troll stopped for a second, and during that second, Holly realized what a big mistake she had made. Instead of one set of tusks, this troll had two.

Soon, the confusion melted from the troll's face, only to be replaced by malice and anger. He howled and charged. "Uh-oh," Holly groaned. She turned tail and fled. At least, she tried to. The troll got to her before she got very far. The troll had her locked in its iron grasp. _This troll's going to kill me_, she thought.

Holly grabbed a claw to wrench it away. She quickly pulled her hand back. Something coating the claw had burned her hand like acid. Almost instantly, Holly felt her limbs become limp. She then realized she was completely at the troll's mercy, if it had any.

The troll roared in Holly's face and tossed her at the wall. _I hope this is one of those impacts you only feel after you wake up in the_ _hospital_, she thought. It wasn't one of those impacts. Holly hit the wall and instantly slumped to the floor.

By now, all that commotion had reached Butler and Artemis. Butler grabbed a dart rifle just in case. At the door, Butler peered in. He saw the troll, gasped, and pulled his head back.

"What is it?" Artemis whispered.

"A troll," Butler answered.

Butler then kicked open the door. The troll, hearing the noise, turned from its soon-to-be meal. "Hello!" Butler cried as he pulled the trigger. The dart left the barrel and, after a five-second flight, buried its needle in the troll's neck.

The troll howled in pain and stupidly clawed the air. Then, its legs, torso, and arms shortened. Clawed hands and feet became paws. The troll's head became smaller and more cat-like. The troll that had nearly killed Juliet and Holly was, in truth, Leo.


	3. Chapter 3

Mere seconds later… Chapter 3

Butler crossed over to Juliet, who was still cowering in the corner, shaking, and sobbing. Artemis still stood, frozen, in the doorway. His gaze seemed stuck to Holly's unmoving form.

When Artemis did move, it felt like a dream to him, more accurately, a nightmare. He paid no attention to the dazed cat, just the unconscious elf. A wave of remorse came over him when he gently shook Holly, to no response.

Artemis tenderly lifted Holly's light, thin frame. He gently cradled her. This girl that he had known, maybe even loved, was gone, done in by a literal CATastrophe. Suddenly, all the tears Artemis had hidden away burst forth in powerful sobs as he realized there was no time rift to save his friend this time.

Holly's eyes blinked open. (That's right, folks, she's **not** dead! Not this time.) When her eyes focused, she saw Artemis simply sobbing over her. _Have I been out _**that**_ long_? She thought.

"This cannot be happening," Artemis choked out between sobs. Holly was shocked to see what a mess he was. He hadn't ever been this bad, not even when his mother had been possessed by Opal.

Holly reached up and gently cleared tears from Artemis's face. "Don't cry, Arty," She murmured, "If you cry, I'll cry, and there'll be a big mess."

Artemis opened his eyes and smiled through his tears. "I knew you wouldn't pass away on me like that," he said. He helped Holly into a sitting position and embraced her.

Mrs. Fowl stepped into the room, looking confused. "What's going on here?" she asked upon seeing Artemis and Holly clinging to each other.

The two sitting on the floor let go of each other. Holly stood with some difficulty and turned slightly to face Mrs. Fowl. "Mrs. Fowl," she said, "There has been a troll attack here. Juliet and I were victims, Artemis and Butler are witnesses." Holly went on to explain the whole incident as if she were giving a report to her commander.

Afterward, Holly slipped to the floor out of exhaustion. Artemis tried to go to her side, but Butler stopped him. "She's tired, Artemis," he said. "I'll help her." Artemis nodded, it was for the best.

Butler lifted Holly and carefully carried her up the stairs to the spare bedroom. He laid her in the bed, and looked over her with a semi-professional eye. Her breathing was heavy and labored and she was pale and feverish. Overall, Holly was in bad shape.

Carefully, Butler prodded her, checking for broken bones. Luckily, there were none. He lifted her wrist and checked her pulse. It was over human average, but Butler guessed that was normal.

Artemis walked in. "How is she?" he asked simply.

Butler turned to him and answered like a doctor, "She's in bad shape, but I expect she'll pull through."

Artemis nodded. His eyes were fixed on Holly. _Now would be a great time to examine her_, said his scientist side. _No_, his reasonable side shouted. _It would be wrong._


	4. Chapter 4

Days later…

Holly woke to Foaly leaning over her. "Good morning, Beautiful!" he exclaimed. Holly shrieked and ducked under the covers, something she didn't do often.

"Hey, hey, it's all right. It's me, Foaly." Foaly said soothingly. He pulled the blankets from the alarmed elf's head. She was hunched over, her whole body shuddering with sobs.

Foaly turned to Butler. "I'm not that scary, am I?" he asked. Butler shrugged. Foaly turned back to his terrified friend. "Come on, now," he said quietly. "Tell Uncle Foaly what's bothering you."

Holly turned still-streaming eyes to her friend. "I'm sorry," she said, stuttering. "I just can't stop seeing that troll." She quickly dissolved into tears again.

"Oh, that," Foaly said, laughing a bit. "It was just a kitty troll."

Holly's head snapped up. "A what?" she asked.

"A kitty troll," Foaly repeated. He laughed. Then, he started explaining. "A kitty troll is a brand new species of troll. Just discovered two, maybe three, weeks ago. Crafty creatures, those guys.

"They can disguise themselves as cats, which makes them all the more dangerous. Joke shops sprang up everywhere, selling kitty trolls to unsuspecting people. Apparently, you were one of those unsuspecting people." Foaly finished.

Holly slammed her small fist onto the bed. "D'arvit," she growled.

"Whoa," Foaly whinnied, "Watch your language, missy!"

"Sorry," Holly sighed, "I just don't like being fooled."

Foaly blew air out his nose and looked out the window.

"Come on, Foaly," Holly pleaded.

Foaly snorted and began to stomp off. Holly wasn't sure what had set him off. She tried to follow Foaly, but as soon as she stood, she fell to the floor.

"What the…?" Holly muttered, trying to get up. She fell again. "This is ridiculous!" she exclaimed.

Foaly looked back at her. "Oh," he said, "One more thing, the venom from a kitty troll's claws takes away your magic and ability to walk for a few weeks." He trotted out of the room. "On that cheery note," he called, "Good bye!" Then, he slammed the door.

"What does he mean?" Holly mumbled from the floor.

Artemis answered quite simply, "Holly, Foaly intended to say what he said. You are incapable of walking."

"Darn…"Holly muttered to herself.

_My, that was a short chapter. 370 words... Oh well, I was running out of ideas anyway_


End file.
